North Sea Road Chapter 7 - Furano （富良野）

Furano is my most anticipated destination of this trip. Firstly, this place is the main reason why many people visit Hokkaido during summer. The sights are seasonal and only become prettiest in summer time. A definite must-go!

Secondly, I wish to recover what I've missed in Amsterdam lol.

Rode a special sightseeing train 'Norokko' that only runs during summer. It's open-air and really windy.

Unlike the other regular trains, this one is a choo-choo train that goes chug chug chug. It runs slowly and noisily. (Even its name 'Norokko' has a sluggish meaning, and its mascot is a tortoise) But riding it gives a nostalgic feel, and somehow brings me back to kindergarten days.

We're here! To see lavenders and friends.

This is an unmanned station where trains will stop only during summer. It provides easier access to the lavender farm, which welcomes a huge bulk of visitors during this period.

Look at how small the station is. Just a little wooden platform.

Picture perfect.

Farm Tomita greets us with its blooming rainbow fields, and a sweet melody of Utada Hikaru's 'First Love'.

Glad to witness this pretty sight at a good timing. Mid July is when most flower species are blooming.

五颜六色

花海茫茫

Visitors can walk through the fields and admire the flowers at close proximity. The lavenders fields aren't very pretty close-up because there are lots of bald patches. The bushes are planted too far apart and they are not very thick.

花花世界

My favourite individual shot. =)

These are real??!! (We see too many fake flowers in SG haha)

There are lots of lavender-flavored food and goods here. (Rock melon too!)

Couldn't resist...

My lavender friend needs to learn English.

一望无际

地面彩虹

This pattern looks like a running track. I feel like running up the slope...

七彩缤纷

Sit back and enjoy, and wonder why flowers are so colourful.

开到荼蘼

Although it's all-year-summer in Singapore, it's only in overseas where I get to realise the beauty of summer.

North Sea Road Chapter 6 - Otaru （小樽）

Otaru is a port town near Sapporo facing the northern sea (towards Russia). It is famous for its exquisite music boxes. Unfortunately when we reached there it was already dark and most shops have closed. Couldn't enjoy the harbour view too.

Otaru Canal. It's supposed to be very pretty during the day and dusk.

The warehouses along the canals have been converted into restaurants and shops.

The sign reads 'Thriller Karaoke'. A karaoke with horror theme. Patrons would probably scream more than sing.

I'm still not very used to eating in small food outlets, which are very common in Japan. You usually sit at the counter seats, facing the cook/chef. It can be awkward not to interact at such close proximity. There is little privacy as the chef (as well as other customers sitting at the counter) can listen to your conversations clearly. So it's difficult to comment about the food, especially if it doesn't taste as good as expected. But the good thing about sitting at the counter is that you get to observe how the chef prepare the food. This open concept means the chef cannot do anything funny to your food (as if we care) haha.

What does this remind you of? Hokkien Mee!

Let's sidetrack a bit...

I find this train cute. Its shape and colour makes it look a toy haha.

Another cute looking train. SMRT should consider designing such train heads.

I understand that they want to provide comprehensive information for the passengers, but sometimes it's a little too complex.

Green Sheet...hahaa...

My first Ekiben (bento bought at train stations, to be eaten during train journeys). Not cheap. Almost S$20 I think. (half of the cost goes to packaging perhaps)

In Japan, bento is an art. (Can you spot a little soy sauce bottle tucked in one small compartment?)

Not sure if I've mentioned before...I ate a bento box as though I'm eating 菜饭, only to realise after eating that it costs about S$40!

North Sea Road Chapter 5 - Sapporo （札幌）

飞向札幌的班机 抗拒地心引力 逃离虚构幸福的自己
五千英呎的空气 心渐渐失去重力 冷锋过境 我们的爱情
                                                             - JS 《飞向札幌的班机》 （2007）

Sapporo is the biggest urban city in Hokkaido, the least developed part of Japan. Compared to Osaka, Tokyo, Fukuoka and other developed cities, Sapporo is still relatively new. Walking on the streets of Sapporo made me notice how much urban planning has been done beforehand to better integrate the infrastructure, especially the splendid connectivity of underground links.

Hokkaido is a seafood paradise, which boosts its fresh catch and larger-than-normal creatures. Hence seafood restaurants can be seen at every corner. Sadly I'm not a fan of seafood...

This Sapporo TV Tower (resembling Tokyo Tower, which in turn looks like Eiffel Tower) glows like a Christmas tree.

The urban night scene in Sapporo is no different from metropolis Tokyo, except this enticing seafood restaurant.

This is a really really long underground walkway. It connects large underground shopping malls located under major streets. Imagine such a walkway underneath the entire stretch of Orchard Road, maybe extending towards City Hall. Its secondary use as a emergency shelter probably explains the lack of shops occupying the sides.

Odori Park. A long stretch of greenery in the heart of the city.

A green corridor to relax and enjoy nature amongst the hectic lifestyle.

Nijo Market. Known for its lineup of stalls selling seafood freshly caught from Hokkaido seas.

Seafood lovers can rejoice. Crabs are pretty large. Price is relatively cheaper but still expensive.

Had a nice chat with the sushi chef as we were the only customers at that time. He said that there are a lot of Singaporean visitors to Sapporo, but the numbers have dropped since the March earthquake.

现做现吃 =)

Visited Shiroi Koibito Park. Basically a theme park cum factory producing the famous Shiroi Koibito  (白色恋人) cookies, cakes, chocolates and other pastries.

Greeted by the pretty garden at the entrance.

This display of flowers only serves to remind me how disappointed I was in Amsterdam.

Both the young and old alike can enjoy this fairytale-like setting.

A little greenhouse with the mountain backdrop.

One of the must-try at the park!

Astro Boy welcomes you!

豪宅 feel.

I wouldn't want to pay too...

I still don't understand how to use it...

Inside the building there is an exhibition gallery displaying collections of Japanese toys from the past. Though I've outgrown toys, looking at them still brings back fond childhood memories.

An ideal kids' bedroom.

The miniatures have a world of their own too.

The shelves are just overflowing with toys and figurines.

How did Astro Boy comb his hair like that?

Snoopy

Servbots...I mean robots.

Never knew Astro Boy is so intricately designed.